美国习惯用语 793 fits and starts
2013-11-22来源:和谐英语
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Fits有阵发和突发的意思。Fits and starts这个习惯用语的意思是时断时续的,间歇的,一阵阵的。所以说,象我这种一会儿拿起书来看,一会儿又放下,时断时续的,就可以说是fits and starts.
有时候这种时断时续也是被逼无奈,让我们听听下面这个母亲的故事。
例句-1:When I was a kid, my mom dreamed of going to college. But raising a family didn't allow her to complete her coursework on a regular schedule; there was a lot of stopping and starting again. Although it took her seven years, after numerous fits and starts, she finally earned her degree.
这个人回忆说:我还小的时候,上大学是妈妈的梦想,但是因为要带孩子,所以她没办法按时完成学业;她的大学生活总是开始了又停下,停下再开始。虽然断断续续前后总共用了七年的时间,但她最终还是拿到了大学毕业证书。
这就叫有志者事竟成。大家都知道,美国的民权运动前后经历的几十年,非洲裔美国人为了争取跟白人同等的权利,多年不懈努力。美国社会今天的种族状况不是一蹴而就,而是经过了断断续续的运动和停顿。It was a series of fits and starts.
在使用这个习惯用语的时候,前面一般都要加上in或者是by. 我可以说自己读书是in fits and starts; 或者说刚才那个妈妈选修大学的课程是by fits and starts.
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Fits and starts这个习惯用语历史悠久,可以追溯到十四世纪后期,开始的时候只是by fits,是大约100年后加上 "and starts"。现在很多人都在网上有自己的博客,我们看看下面这个人的感触。
例句-2:Like a lot of my friends, I have my own blog. The problem is I'm not as consistent as they are about keeping it. I'll write every day for a week or so, then I won't, then I'll write some more...I guess it's because my ideas come in fits and starts.
他说:我跟很多朋友一样,也有自己的博客,但问题是,我没办法象他们那样坚持每天写。我会坚持一个星期,然后停一段时间,然而再拾起来。这大概是因为我的灵感也是时有时无的吧。
他刚才用的是in fits and starts. 其实在这里,我们也可以用by fits and starts. 两种说法都可以。我有个朋友,先生是搞室内装修的。几年前买了栋旧房子,开始自己整修,但是由于工作忙,只能by fits and starts,断断续续,结果干了五年才算大功告成。